We’re very slowing making our way back up the chain of Exuma islands. After finally leaving our favored Big Farmer’s Cay, we stopped at another new anchorage along Great Guana called Jack’s Cove, inset a bit and a mile or so to the north of Jack’s Bay. It had a beautiful beach on the bank side, and a short walk to a crazy vortex beach of… garbage. The winds, the landforms and the ocean doing its thing just so happened to bring seemingly all of the Exuma’s offshore trash into this one little cove. We’d never seen anything like it. And jackpot of all jackpots, Andy found a message in a bottle. We’ve thrown a few overboard on various passages in our lives, but he’d always wanted to find one himself. We didn’t have high hopes in this being tossed from too far away, really, but what meager hopes we did have were dashed when, after reading the adorable 16 year old’s “wishes and dreams for her life” list, we found that she failed to include where she dropped it, when she dropped it, and any viable contact information (she included her phone number without an area code.. get dialing, Andy!).
Anyhoo, after our dump scavenge we took advantage of the flat calm and crystal clear waters to have a dinghy exploration up the coast to look for fun water-dwellers. After an hour of trolling along the razory limestone overhangs, we had seen only one lion fish and one tiny sea turtle. Sad and disturbing all the same. We went back to the boat and Ray’s cousin (also Ray) for company. At least he’s always there. Sometimes he brings other family members as well. They eat a lot.
For years while cruising we would find a laundromat onshore somewhere, and one of us would park ourselves for the task. Often I would happily sit and read while the machines did their thing and Andy would go searching for a part of some kind to double-duty our time ashore. If we were lucky, the place also had a pool, or some exciting-enough attraction to keep the kids entertained while I laundered. The past few years have introduced my one true boat extravagance: the laundry drop-off. The first time we happened upon the option, it only cost about $4 more per load, and as far as I was concerned, it was well worth the extra. Now it’s a bit more, but not having to hassle with broken machines, wait in line, wait at all, etc. etc…. worth every penny.
Naturally then we spent a day a Black Point Settlement doing laundry, because we forgot how annoying it is to do it yourself. Reminder made! Day wasted!
We also spent a day with Maine friends who were zipping down to Georgetown, and we found ourselves together in Staniel on our crossing paths. We introduced them to our favorite beach there, and after we parted ways we returned, so that Violet could re-open the Chickadee café in its original location. (It was also once the World Café, a few owners/years ago, when all of the Rickadee kids worked together at their ventures. 😉 )
Saw the disgusting beach pigs once again, and came home to shower, since, if I haven’t conveyed my feelings well enough, pigs on a beach are GROSS. But I’m also good for a baby animal of any kind, so I picked my way through the ick and found the two week olds, still adorable and soft.
Violet also taught a fellow cruiser how to pet the nurse sharks below the fish-cleaning station, so all in all, Staniel’s bustling Allen productivity really made up for cursed laundry day.
Just off of Pipe Cay now, and had a fun time yesterday circumnavigating the island yesterday in the dinghy, zipping in and out of Pipe Creek’s waterways. There was a huge megayacht anchored behind us, with what looked like a handful of pre-teen/teens, and plenty of activities. A giant slide off the boat, jet skis, a tender flying back and forth with tubers, and Snuba gear to start.. . By the time the kids blew past me in the cockpit for the tenth time on the super loud and very obnoxious jet skis, I was about to go all “Get off my lawn!” on them, but they were called back to the boat by the no-doubt very bedraggled and exhausted crew. Since they had also set up an on-shore lounging area (all of these mega yachts seem to stake a claim on a nearby beach, so that guests can lounge under tents, with bar set-ups and shoreside activities at their fingertips), we saw the crew go in to fetch everything long after the sun had set. Long days for them for sure.
Heading further north today, but once again, not so sure exactly where. I’m really starting to like the whole ‘sail until you stop’ method of finding new anchorages.
